Marker Inscription
When this church was organized by the Rev. Carl Kreutzenstein in 1886 for Temple's German-speaking Lutherans, it was named Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. Charter members included the Schmidt, Paulus, Scholz, Koch, Bosl, Jahnke, Rhein, and Haedge families. A small frame sanctuary was built at the corner of Avenue F and Fourth Street. By 1913 the congregation needed larger facilities, and a new building was erected at Avenue G and South First. In 1946 the church was renamed First Lutheran Church. A new sanctuary was built at this site in 1958. (1989)
About this site
First Lutheran Church is a historical marker in Temple, Bell County, dedicated in 1989. It is one of 226 historical markers documented in Bell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 411 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.1018, -97.3572 near Temple. The nearest cataloged historic site is Immanuel Baptist Church (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Bird Creek Battlefield, Santa Fe Memorial Hospital, Inc., and Barclay-Bryan House.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5027001737. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
